This invention relates generally to devices for dispensing chemical agents into a body of water and, more specifically, to such devices adapted to dispense algae fertilizer into a lake or pond.
To maintain a lake or pond as a proper habitat for fish, it is important to maintain the upper three or four feet of the lake or pond rich in dispersed algae growth. Such algae growth provides most of the nutrition to support fish within the lake or pond.
To properly maintain a three to four foot upper layer rich in dispersed algae growth, a manager of a lake or pond must usually fertilize the lake or pond at regular intervals. The chemical agents used in such fertilization typically contain nitrates and phosphate.
The most common method used to disperse fertilizer into a lake or pond is by sowing the fertilizer into the lake or pond by hand. However, this requires a great deal of physical effort and does not properly dispense the fertilizer gradually over time.
Attempts have been made to create floatable fertilizer dispensers, but such prior art efforts have not been particularly successful. Most notably, such prior art efforts have resulted in complex dispensing structures which are expensive to manufacture, transport and use. Also, devices of the prior art are not particularly in successful in evenly dispensing fertilizer in gradual manner over a long period of time, such as over about two-four weeks.
Accordingly, there is a need for an approved pond fertilizing device which avoids the above-mentioned problems in the prior art.
The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a combination for dispensing chemical agents into a body of water. The combination comprises a subcombination which includes a container and chemical agents within the container. The container has a top, a bottom and side walls. The side walls are perforated with a plurality of perforations, each having an open area between about 0.004 square inches and about 0.5 square inches. Wrapped around the outside walls of the container is a removable cover layer disposed over the perforations in the side walls of the container. Such removable cover layer protects chemical agents within the container and prevents the leakage of chemical agents out of the container. When the combination is ready for use as a dispenser of the chemical agents into a body of water, the removable cover layer is removed and the subcombination is floated onto the body of water. Over time, water seeps into the container through the perforations, mixes with and dissolves the chemical agents and seeps out again through the perforations into the body of water. By use of the invention, the chemical agents are gradually dispensed into the body of water over a period of about two-four weeks, depending upon weather conditions.
The container is typically an inexpensive plastic-walled bucket-like device having a sealed top lid.
In a preferred embodiment, the container contains an upper layer of closed cell foam to give the container additional buoyancy. Also, an anchor is preferably provided to retain the container at a particular location within the lake or pond.